Observed differences

Both people back home and locals I meet while traveling often ask me how things wherever I am are different than back home. I see way more similarities than I see differences, but below is a list of some of the differences I've noticed:

Asia

Men rarely wear shorts
Maps are often oriented with north not being at the top
Almost everyone believes in ghosts
They waive for you to come closer with fingers pointed down
Most people are racist
They eat lots of eggs
Ice cream cones are often made of rice (and not that good)
Solar water heaters are very common
People like to play music through their phone in public places

Brunei

There's different posted speed limits for good and bad weather

Central Asia

Carbonated water is very common
Poplar windbreaks are very common
Gold teeth are really common
School girls have cute little white bows in their hair

China

Most motorbikes are electric
There's lots of basketball courts
All the coins are shiny, none are faded or scratched
Platform shoes are very common
Old women do choreographed dances in public places very often
There's lots of power plants and they're almost all nuclear/coal mixes
Men often like to show their bellies
Babies don't wear diapers, they just have a slit in their pants and go wherever
Men spit a lot
People generally don't have a good concept of "email"
Couple costumes are unpleasantly common
Railings in national parks are made from concrete made to look like wood
The bus stations all have clock towers

Hong Kong

All public buses are double-decker

India

There's never less than 10 people dancing in a music video at any given time
Street animals painted pink are quite common
Cricket is popular
Many people brush their teeth with sticks
Going barefoot is very common
You find animals laying everywhere, especially in the road
Picking your nose in public doesn't seem taboo
Cement companies are in stiff competition and advertise a lot
All hotels use the same shitty lock on their doors

Indonesia

Four wheeled personal vehicles are huge because they need to hold the whole family on holidays
There's cigarette advertisements everywhere
People only eat with spoons or their hands, no knifes or forks
Vegetables are not common in the cuisine
Most food is: deep fried, really sweet, really spicy or a combination therein
Food is rarely made to order
People don't walk long distances
Any tree that is cared for seems to be meticulously cared for like a bonsai
Coffee shops don't open until at least 9am
Most people have a very nice camera, tablet and two cell phones
Sunscreen and shaving razors are expensive and usually locked up in stores
Any place you could conceivably park a car is monitored by a parking attendant
People love Harley-Davidson
Most public transport blares music as loud as they can
Every dining table has toothpicks, tissues and hot sauce

Israel

Electric bicycles are very common
Plants are often watered through a series of hoses with little holes in them
Bar soap is not very common

Japan

You're expected to bike on the sidewalk
Jaywalking is highly frowned upon
There's vending machines and convenience stores everywhere
There's very few trash cans but plenty of recycling bins
There are no public benches

Kyrgyzstan

The coins stick to magnets

Malaysia

Hiking trails are well marked
U-Turns are a planned part of driving
The government has lots of good health conscious initiatives
There's a dearth of public transportation

Mongolia

Popped collars are in style
Nothing opens before 10am

Myanmar

The time difference with neighboring countries is 30 minutes
The driver is situated closest to the curb
The internet is censored and sometimes restricted by foreign governments
Most men wear longyis and most women wear thanaka
Lots of people chew the betel nut
Wood fires are commonly used for cooking and heating

Nepal

People carry heavy loads on their backs, supported by slings from their head
Goods are measured out with old-fashioned balance scales

Northeast Asia

People walk on the left side and stand on the right side of escalators
The street is cooled by no-door air-conditioned buildings

Philippines

There's lots of dental centers
Phone coverage sucks
The diet is heavily pork based
There's lots of openly gay guys

South Asia

Child labor is extremely common
People eat nearly everything with their hands
The head is bobbled side to side in affirmation, rather than any verbal cue
Women do "mens" work as well as "womens" work
Male friends often walk hand-in-hand

South Korea

Elevators have low weight limits and won't go if you exceed them

Southeast Asia

Things are too small. That or I'm too big
Workers don't wear uniforms
The museums are... not like back home
Directions are... always given and should be taken with skepticism
Mirrors aren't cleaned during routine cleaning
Where there are "regular" toilets, they're usually dual flush
They drink beer on the rocks
It's common for kids to live with their family until they're married
Most people can't swim (even in the island nations)
Chairs and stools are tiny
People have a way of crouching where their behinds are much closer to the ground
Single speed bicycles are a functional reality, not a fashion statement
The base of trees are painted white
Streets are swept by people with long straw brooms
Sidewalks are usually obstructed
Singapore is a "status country"

Taiwan

Garbage trucks make music like ice cream trucks in America
Toilet paper comes in boxes like facial tissues instead of rolls

Turkey

Men seldom wear hats
Monkey bars are strangely absent from playgrounds
Umbrellas aren't used unless it's seriously raining
Locals use "too much" a lot when speaking English
Tea glasses are shaped like hour glasses
Backgammon is played a lot

Vietnam

Jockey helmets count as acceptable motorbike helmets
They seem to have no concept of personal space
Most people wear face masks when riding a motorbike
The yo-yo is very popular
They chip ice for consumption off of large blocks like back in the day
Tissues and napkins are squares of recycled paper
Internet is often wired or unsecured wireless
Vehicle horns fade into a trill
Houses are really narrow
They deal to themselves first in cards
Default attire is business casual
Street dogs are a class above other countries